Review by Elena Chin
Introduction to the Constitution is another enriching and thought-provoking free online Course offered by Hillsdale
College. In this course college president Larry P. Arnn does a remarkable job of explaining the relationship between the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution and the thought process that went into creating both documents. Ratified on September 17, 1787, the US Constitution is the most enduring and successful constitution in history. It was established to protect and secure our basic God-given rights to “Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness”, the rights declared in the Declaration of Independence. The basic human rights of every human being are protected under the Constitution by virtue of the fact that they are human. It is what makes America such a desirable place to live.
Most notable is Arnn’s lecture about the importance of the separation of powers established by the Constitution, designed to prevent the government from becoming tyrannical. The constitution has been brazenly undermined by progressives, socialists, left wing extremists, and politicians who call themselves “moderate Democrats” for over a century now. Our government has been undergoing an alarming and rapid transformation which accelerated during the COVID crisis. Unelected officials in regulatory agencies such as the CDC, FDA, and NIH stripped of our rights to determine what is just or unjust, to consent or not to consent. These agencies are unconstitutional. Millions of federal and state employees are in charge of making the laws, enforcing the laws, and punishing those who do not follow their laws, without separation of power. This is abuse of power. Though bureaucratic agencies lack the constitutional authority to act in the capacity they do, it is difficult to make a case against them because they declare a “crisis” then claim to be acting in behalf of the “general welfare”. The question is, who gets to determine what a crisis is and what is best for the general welfare? W
Arnn also engages in an interesting and thought-provoking discussion about the urgent need to “revive” limited government and start to undue this transformation. In this course he imparts the knowledge and tools necessary to do so by providing a thorough and in-depth look at the Constitution and the principles of American government. It is no wonder this is Hillsdale’s most popular course. More than one million people have already taken it. Hopefully millions more will.
Hillsdale offers an additional free course I look forward to taking – Constitution 101- The Meaning and History of the Constitution. This course outlines the purpose of the Constitution, the challenges it faced during the Civil War, and how it has been under assault by progressives who have reject the Bill of Rights, limited government, the separation of powers, and federalism.
Join the millions who take Hillsdale courses. It will be time well spent. Knowledge is power!
https://online.hillsdale.edu/courses/intro–to–the–constitution https://online.hillsdale.edu/landing/constitution–101
